Cauvery dispute: Karnataka would have released 15 cusecs of water instead of 15,000

Complying with the Supreme Court directive, Karnataka from midnight Tuesday started releasing 15,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu's distressed farmers for the next 10 days.

However, there was a major clerical error – brought to the SC's notice by senior advocate for Tamil Nadu Subramonium Prasad – which was hastily rectified, reported The Hindu.

The Supreme Court directive, as published on the legal website, read: As far as the sustenance of the crops and interest of the farmers in the State of Tamil Nadu is concerned, instead of 10 cusecs of water per day, 15 cusecs of water per day be released at Biligundulu by the State of Karnataka for ten days.

Members of various Kanada organisations staging a protest at Krishna Raja Sagara dam against the SC directive of releasing water to Tamil Nadu, in Mysuru on Wednesday. PTI

The error being: The reason being 15 cusecs of water to be released per day instead of 15,000 cusecs. However, the mistake was immediately taken care of.

However, the Supreme Court would be moved seeking modification of its order to spare 15,000 cusecs of water for 10 days because of the difficulties in implementing it given that the live storage in four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin now was 46.7 TMC ft against their capacity of 104 TMC ft, the government said.

"It is inevitable for Karnataka to comply with the Supreme Court order in the interest of the state," top government sources said, adding, "constitutionally, it is not possible to defy it".

Officials confirmed that water was being let out since Tuesday midnight, shortly after the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said the decision to obey the Supreme Court order has been taken with "a heavy heart" even though the state itself faced "severe distress".

The present live storage is 45 percent against the live storage of 104 TMCFT in the Krishnaraja Sagar, Harangi, Hemavathi and Kabini reservoirs, the sources pointed out.